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University Of Turku, Department Of Family MedicineResearch Funder/Centre

Department of Family Medicine in the University of Turku belongs to the Clinical Institute in the Medical Faculty of the University. It organizes basic education in family medicine for medical students, specialization education in family medicine and further education in family medicine. The research activities consist of epidemiological studies in ageing; intervention studies among the aged; clinical geriatric studies in primary health care and studies about care of the elderly.

Aims

The aims of the activities of the Department of Family Medicine are: Participation in teaching in the basic medical curriculum in the University of Turku by teaching family medicine Organizing specialization education in family medicine Production of research results usable in planning health services for the aged; in preventing diseases, disorders and injuries in the aged; in diagnosing diseases in the aged and in treatment, rehabilitation and care of the aged in primary health care.

Main research areas

The main research areas are:

Epidemiology of diseases and disorders in old age. -Here the specific topics are: Prevalence of coronary heart disease, depression, chronic pulmonary diseases and dementia, incidence of fractures, risk factors of fractures and prognosis of fractures in the aged.

Use of medications; relationships between the use and concomitant use of medication having CNS effects or side-effects and the risk of fractures, depression, cognitive decline and dementia in old age.

Reference values of biochemical parameters (laboratory tests) in old age. -These three (1, 2 and 2) research areas are conducted by using a population-based longitudinal study performed from 1990 onwards.

Effects of a multifactorial, risk-based intervention program to prevent of falls, injurious falls and consequences of falls in the aged. -In this randomized, controlled study with a long (12 months) intervention we analyse the short-term and long-term effects of the intervention on falls and injurious falls and on the following consequences of falls: physical, psychic and social functional abilities, quality of life, use of health and social services and deaths. The quite large amount of the material gives opportunities to analyse the effects in subgroups by age, sex, functional abilities and participation rate.

Research disciplines

Medical/Clinical Sciences/Nursing

Contact

Professor Sirkka-Liisa Kivelä

Address

Department of Family MedicineUniversity of TurkuLemminkäisenkatu 1FinlandFI-20014 Turku